


Like The Finest Wine

by Prince_Hel



Category: Carol (2015), The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anniversary, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:09:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27584561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prince_Hel/pseuds/Prince_Hel
Summary: “Every single day since we got together, you show me how much you love and appreciate me. I don’t need an exclusive day to have the proof.”
Relationships: Carol Aird/Therese Belivet
Comments: 22
Kudos: 53





	Like The Finest Wine

**Author's Note:**

> I've never been so happy as I have been since the moment you became part of my life. I'm a writer and words are not enough to tell you how much I love you and how much you mean to me. I can only hope you keep giving me the opportunity to show it to you.  
> Happy Anniversary, love of my life 🥺🥰

The last thing Therese expected _that_ particular day was to wake up so early in the morning. It was a Sunday after all. It should be forbidden waking up before nine in the morning during the weekends. But when you and your significant other were busy during the week (though Carol, whenever she could make it possible, went a couple of days a week) the only time Therese could join her was during the weekends.

It had been surprising to discover Carol loved tennis, though oddly it was so easy to see it fittingly. Therese was all the opposite to a sportswoman; anything related to it, she only did it when the opportunity presented itself, like swimming during vacations or riding a bike when she was too lazy to walk somewhere, or because she was forced to do it due to school. Never developing the intention to exercise, much less compete.

However, hearing Carol speaking so vehemently about it, and seeing some of the videos the woman had recorded whenever she went to practice to see what she was doing wrong to get it right, aroused Therese interest (among other things thanks to the outfits she wore) to be part of Carol’s hobby.

Carol had mentioned wanting to play with Therese several times but for months it was nothing but a concept, the young woman preferring to sleep a few hours more during the week before having to face the day, and Carol (the perfect girlfriend) never attempted to manipulate her to get what she wanted.

Carol’s acceptance increased Therese’s desire to finally make it possible, knowing sacrifices had to be done. Reason why she was waking up at seven in the morning to get ready to go with Carol to the courts. At least in this way, when they came back, she could take a nap, confident that she could easily convince Carol to join her. The woman loved sleeping as much as hers, which was surprising that she was willing to sacrifice a few hours to play tennis during the week.

Grunting, Therese prompted herself up on her elbows, separating her upper body from the bed, turning her head towards the other side. “You are aware that this is proof of true love, right?” she grumbled.

Carol hummed, placing her cell phone back on the nightstand after turning off the alarm. “You haven’t changed your mind?” She reached to brush Therese’s tousled hair.

“It’s tempting, I have to admit.” Therese dropped her head back to the pillow. Carol’s laugh filling the room made Therese smile. Creating memories with the woman she loved was worth anything. And she could recover the hours of sleep she was missing now in the afternoon.

“At least you decided to wake up at this hour so you could stay an extra hour in bed to come to your senses. Hopefully, by then, we will feel more human.” She turned to her side, scooting closer to her love, draping a leg above Therese’s ass and her arm over the middle of her back. Her eyes fell close as she nuzzled her head with Therese’s.

Not wasting a second, the young woman nuzzled back, burying her face a bit under Carol’s head, managing to kiss her jaw. “Are we falling asleep again?”

“Do you have another idea to wake up?” Her voice slurred.

A beat, then Therese opened her eyes, not moving from her position. “Perhaps.” She moved forward to reach Carol’s neck with her lips, slowly turning her body to the side so she could slip a hand under Carol’s nightie, missing her girlfriend’s smug smile.

* * *

Carol was nothing but patient. She didn’t get frustrated, much less upset or angry with the fact that Therese spent more time of the first half an hour jogging to fetch the ball instead of hitting it back whenever Carol made a shot.

Every single time Therese apologetically smiled at her way after a failure once she was back in position, Carol winked at her, blessing her with a smile that showed understanding and love, and a little bit of amusement but not in the way that it made Therese feel like she was laughing at her since her eyes were filled with tenderness.

That gesture was enough to inspire Therese to focus, to try harder.

It didn’t take long for Therese to realize (after finally being capable to hit the ball back, having a match that lasted her current record of six hits) that Carol, though took the sport seriously and enjoyed it (her joy clear as water in her happy laughter when Therese started to get the hang of it and in her victorious gestures whenever she realized the appropriate movement), didn’t have the intention to play professionally nor competitively, simply stay in form and be good at it.

After a while, when Therese’s record was now at eight and she had even managed to make Carol miss a few hits, the woman made the come hither motion as she walked towards the net, where they reunited.

“Do you want to take a break?” Carol asked her, with heaving breathing.

It took Therese a moment to answer, spellbound by the image in front of her, seeing Carol’s movements in slow motion. She could see the layer of sweat covering the exposed skin, making her crave the taste because the only time she got to see Carol sweating was in a more intimate scenario. It was slightly befuddling ─ wanting to jump hungrily at the other woman and at the same time showering but nothing but tenderness and affection.

It wasn’t fair that she wore an outfit that in Therese’s opinion was endearing and sexy.

Fleetingly, Therese wondered if the tiredness and the sun were affecting more than she was aware of. But it was an idea easy to discard. The reality was that Carol was the only one to blame, she was a breathtaking woman and the videos definitely didn’t do justice to the real thing.

“Yeah. I need water.” Suddenly not only the exercise was making her mouth dry.

They walked together to the bleachers where they had left their things. Therese immediately sat down, reaching for one of the water bottles but Carol remained standing in front of her. “So, you enjoyed it?”

Therese took off her cap, cleaning her forehead with the back of her hand. “Yeah. It was entertaining and funny.” She grinned, the dimples that always spread warmth and happiness in Carol, greeting her. “Totally worth it waking up so early.”

Carol raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. “The morning sex wasn’t it?” There was a tinge of indignation in her voice.

Therese laughed, reaching for Carol, holding her by her hips, and pulling her towards her, throwing her head back to look at her girlfriend. “I would sacrifice hours of sleep to have sex with you without a second thought.” She blushed slightly. It didn’t matter that they had been together for years and that Carol was aware of how Therese felt, she would keep blushing whenever she resorted to bluntness.

Carol placed her hands on Therese’s shoulders, massaging them for a few seconds before sliding her hands towards her neck, lacing her fingers behind it. “Well, of course you _have_ to say that now.”

“I’m sure you wouldn’t be on board with me showing it to you right now.” She looked around as if there was a chance of happening but the truth was that she wouldn’t be on board either. She was proud of being with Carol and didn’t have a problem showing to the world that they were together but that didn’t mean she was an exhibitionist.

“You know me so well.” She leaned down to kiss her lips chastely to then let her go, sitting next to her, placing a hand over her thigh, looking at it. “We need to go to buy you appropriate clothes if you have the intention of doing this again.”

“What’s wrong with my current clothes?” Therese looked down at her pants and loose shirt. Looking up, she found Carol looking at her with disbelief. “Fine.” She rolled her eyes with a chuckle.

Carol’s expression softened. “So you want to do this again?”

“Absolutely! I enjoyed it.” She was sincere. “I don’t think I’m going to do it in the way you do it but one day of the weekend I think it’s a nice idea, don’t you?” Carol’s answer came in the form of a buoyant kiss.

“Thank you for doing this with me,” she whispered, leaning her forehead against Therese’s, careful of not harming her with the cap, stroking a soft cheek with one hand. For her, it was important and special to share the things she liked with the person she loved.

“You don’t have to thank me, Carol. Spending time with you it’s one of my favorite things to do.” She pulled back to kiss the tip of her nose, smiling happily at her.

* * *

They went back to their house where they showered separately. First Carol and when it was Therese’s turn, the other woman took advantage to put in motion the plans that she had for the day.

With the current world’s situation, they couldn’t go out, which due to their occupied lives it was a blessing, preferring to stay inside and spend time together, comfy and cozy, without feeling forced to get ready to go wherever they decided to go, but that didn’t mean that Carol couldn’t make something special.

She had expected Therese to say something about it the moment she woke up. The previous years had been like that. In fact, during the first three years, she stayed awake until midnight just with the intention to utter the expected words. Nevertheless, Carol knew she hadn’t forgotten about it, she just wondered if Therese believed she had and that was why she pretended it was a day like any other.

It didn’t upset Carol such a prospect; in fact, it overwhelmed her to count with a supportive and understanding girlfriend because she could imagine why she had done it, filling her with a desperate longing that for a moment was tempting to pause what she was doing just to join Therese and showed her how much she appreciated her. She managed to control herself only because she already had plans to do that after revealing her surprise to Therese.

Carol spent a few minutes making the necessary phone calls to acquire the items she required and browsing the internet to search for the needed information to make possible to prepare Therese’s favorite dishes. She only needed a way to keep Therese far away from the kitchen or distracted enough so she didn’t pay attention to what she was doing.

While Carol pondered how to achieve it, Therese entered the kitchen, drying her hair with a towel. “Hey. Do you want me to prepare something to eat?”

“We have leftovers from yesterday. I’m just going to reheat them before they get spoiled.” She stood up, walking to the fridge.

“Are you going to take a nap with me afterwards?” She sat on a chair yawning, after hanging the towel on the back. “I have to develop a few rolls for some articles they start to work on tomorrow.” She sounded guilty. “But I don’t think I’m going to take more than a couple of hours. Once I’m done we can do something ─ watch a movie or whatever. Or just staying in bed. I want to be with you.”

Carol, with her back at Therese, smiled. _Perfect_. That would help wonderfully to hide the smell once she started cooking. “That’s okay, darling. Don’t worry, if you have to work, I get it. Do what you have to do, I’ll wait for you.” She turned around, one of her hands holding two containers. “And of course I’m going to take a nap with you.”

Therese smiled goofily when Carol stopped when she passed next to her, stroking her head with her free hand, leaning down to kiss it. “If it wasn’t because I’m hungry, I would be sleeping already. I was falling asleep in the shower.” She dropped her head on the table when Carol walked away.

Carol chuckled. “You should have allowed me to keep you awake as I did in the morning,” she said, as if it hadn’t been her idea taking separate showers, but she had done it in the way it seemed like it was Therese’s idea.

She grunted. “You have the green light to do it from now on.” Carol’s laugh enveloped Therese like a hug.

* * *

“Angel, can you come over here, please?”

Just in time, Therese had finished developing the last photo of the roll she had been working on so she didn’t have to wait to do what Carol asked. “Where are you?” she wondered once she was out of the darkroom.

“In the living room.”

The young woman headed in that direction after a quick stop to the bathroom to wash her hands to get rid of the smell of chemicals on her skin, stopping dead in her tracks after crossing the threshold.

The room was illuminated with a handful of aromatic candles that made it possible to see clearly but without missing the intention of giving a romantic vibe. The coffee table was decorated with petals and a flower vase was settled on the center, filled with roses, four covered dishes waiting on one of the sides with a cup of wine in front of them and two cushions on the floor, with the purpose of working as seats.

Carol could see Therese’s surprise, her eyes widening as they roamed through the room. “You think I had forgotten?” Her voice was soft, like a caress.

Therese walked towards the woman, without looking away from the table, guided by her voice. “Nope. I’m aware that you know when our anniversary is if asked.” She paused pointedly. “I wouldn’t have minded if you did though.” When Therese looked at her, she found Carol raising an eyebrow in confusion, never expecting such an answer. She smiled endearingly. “Oh, Carol. Every single day since we got together, you show me how much you love and appreciate me. I don’t need an exclusive day to have the proof.”

Carol staggered. She had hoped. She wanted nothing more than to make Therese know how much she meant to her without the need to voice it. Not because Carol struggled to say it, but because there were times when they were too busy and tired to do the things a couple does, to have dates, or to simply do nothing together. It hadn’t been like that during a few months in the beginning because back then Carol was barely starting in her job and Therese was jobless so they counted on the opportunity of doing things together whenever they wanted, spending a lot of time with each other. But as Carol climbed positions, receiving more responsibilities, and Therese was employed, their free time was heavily reduced.

Blissfully they lived together so at least they had mornings to have quick breakfasts together, and during the nights, they slept in each other’s arms.

“Even with how chaotic things are right now?” she couldn’t help but ask, needing more reassurance. “I feel like a broken record telling you that things in work will settle down every single month but─” she was interrupted by lips against hers.

“Shhh,” she said without breaking the kiss, indulging herself for a moment, stroking Carol’s lips with hers, taking a rightful amount of time to pamper each one of them. “I understand it, my love. I truly do.” She cupped Carol’s face. “I’ve seen your growth in your job and it makes me so proud of you, and I’m delighted that other people are capable to see how good you are at what you do, that’s why you are where you are.” She smiled.

Relaxation spread through Carol’s body thanks to Therese’s words. “I do love my job but I will never love it more than you.”

“I know, but I also know that I have to share you with the world. I wouldn’t want it otherwise, that can’t be healthy.” She scrunched up her nose. “There’s also the risk of you getting sick of me,” she joked.

Carol chuckled, patting Therese’s hip playfully. “I can’t see that happening anytime soon.” She reached with one arm, sliding it around the woman’s waist, flushing their bodies together. “I know you don’t want me thanking you but I know going to play tennis with me was your anniversary gesture and I loved it so … thank you.” Therese frowned, opening her mouth to retort. “No, no. I know you did it because you wanted it, but I’m aware that you chose this specific day to finally make it possible for that reason.”

That was something Therese wouldn’t deny. “I just wanted you to have a great day. We don’t need grand gestures, we never had but I do want to make you happy, every single day you spend at my side, I want you to be happy.” Her eyes shined with emotion.

“You do.” She softly kissed the woman’s lips, pulling back afterwards to make eye contact. “You have done it since the moment you came to my life.”

Therese shivered. Carol wasn’t the kind of person that used words to show her emotions, that was more along Therese’s path who usually whispered or messaged Carol with mushy words, so whenever her girlfriend did it, Therese felt herself melt. “Then my job here is done.”

Carol’s eyes flashed, smiling daringly. “God, I sincerely hope it’s not.”

Smiling giddy, a reaction evoked everytime Carol let her know that she still chose her, wanting to be with her, Therese threw her arms around her girlfriend’s neck. “You have done the same, are you aware?” She pulled back to look at her, without breaking the hug. “I’ve never imagined it was possible to be this happy, this loved until I experienced it with you.”

Carol closed her eyes, sighing happily. “Then my job here is done,” she joked, kissing Therese’s cheek. “I’m never going to stop wanting to make you happy, nor to love you. You deserve all the good this world can offer.”

Therese tilted her head, contemplatively. Slowly, a beaming grin appeared in her face, making her happiness clear. “I already have it.”

The meaning of her words was impossible to miss. Carol sniffed emotionally, whimpering softly when Therese’s lips made contact with hers. Feeling her legs wobbling, Carol dropped on the couch, taking Therese with her, who ended up on her lap, giggling, her laugh turning into a surprised gasp and then a moan when Carol launched forward to devore her mouth in a leisure and passionate way, who felt more confident to say what her heart screamed with actions than with words: that Therese wasn’t the only one who had all the good the world can offer.


End file.
